Nhi Vo

Biology

Catalyst for Change

A native of Vietnam, Nhi Vo ’13 MS ’14 understands the value of quality healthcare: “Having been born in a developing country and experiencing health limitations because of underserved medical care, I always knew I wanted to do something to change that.” She had that chance while on a medical mission trip to Honduras and Nicaragua with Global Medical Training (GMT) during winter break in 2012.

GMT’s mission to provide medical and dental care to remote Central American communities appealed to Vo after she first heard about the program from previous participants. Although she and fellow Bradley undergraduate Allen Ghareeb ’14 could not treat patients directly while on the trip, they were guided by and assisted physicians in evaluations and exams. “We were actively engaged in the diagnostic reasoning process,” she noted. “I also gained exposure to drug dosing regimens and common drug groups.”

Vo, a biology major, said the trip also gave her “a much deeper appreciation for public health, culture, and religion — factors that all shape the health of a region.”

Ghareeb and Vo subsequently established a GMT chapter on the Hilltop. “We wanted to provide other Bradley students with the same opportunity to experience global health firsthand,” she explained. Vo realized that goal when she returned to Nicaragua in January with 15 more students.

After earning her master’s this spring, Vo plans to attend medical school. She hopes one day to continue the pursuit of her passion for health education: “I believe a critical aspect of patient care is providing people with the knowledge and resources to take action to better their own health.”